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My eyes flitted to the ground beneath my feet. “It didn’tfeellike it came from a place of love. It felt like it came from a place of control.”
Dad nodded, anxiously biting his lower lip. “We’re terribly sorry, Julia. This rift between us… It’s our fault. We take complete responsibility for how we acted toward you.”
“You’re our daughter,” Mom added. “We only want what’s best for you. If we pushed you too hard, if we expected too much… It’s only because we wanted to see you succeed. We realize now that it was toxic of us to put so much pressure and strain on you.”
I tilted my head to the side, a realization occurring to me. “Have you two been seeing a therapist?”
Dad nodded. “We have, actually. After our big blow up, we realized that we needed to talk to a professional. Your mother and I were lost and confused. We lashed out and said some pretty unforgivable things. After a while, we realized it couldn’t continue like this.”
“You were right,” Mom said. “You’re an adult. You’re capable of your own decisions. We were just…”
“Scared?” I supplied.
Mom nodded. “Precisely. We’re really sorry, Julia. We know we’ve said some incredibly hurtful things, and we don’t expect you to forgive us. We just really want you to know that we’re going to try our best and be more understanding. You’re our daughter and we need you in our lives, and we’re so sorry for making you feel less than.”
I took three big steps forward and threw my arms around my parents. “Don’t worry, I forgive you,” I said, pulling them into a tight hug. “What you said was hurtful, yes, but we can learn to get past that. I want you in my life and the baby’s life, too.”
Mom sniffled. “Oh, thank you, Julia. Thank you. We’ll do our best to keep an open mind going forward.”
When I pulled away, I beamed at my parents. “That’s all I ask.”
“So, uh…” Dad said, glancing at the guys hovering protectively on the porch. “Would you care to introduce us to your… partners? Is that what we call them?”
I chuckled. “Mom, Dad. These are my boyfriends: Dylan Callaghan, Jonathan Smithson, and Cash Mitchell.”
Mom waved, a very noticeable blush filling her cheeks. “My, my… You’re all very…”
“Breathtakingly handsome?” Cash teased.
“I was going to say tall.”
Dad cleared his throat. “Am I allowed to ask who the father is? Or is it like a taboo thing for me to ask? I don’t know the rules.”
I shook my head. “We didn’t bother with a paternity test. As far as I’m concerned, they’re all going to be amazing fathers.”
Mom smiled. I could tell this was a lot for her to take in, but bless her heart for trying. “Well, I’m glad that the baby will be raised in a house full of loving parents. Some children out there aren’t lucky enough to have even one.”
I smiled back, taking her hand. “Come on. Let’s go inside and have lunch. I’ll show you the baby’s sonograms, if you’d like.”
“Oh, I’d love that!”
“Am I allowed to ask if it’s a boy or a girl?” Dad inquired.
I laughed. “You’re allowed to ask anything you’d like; you don’t need permission.” I beamed, feeling as light as a feather. “We actually decided to be surprised, so when we know, you’ll know.”
